Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-14
THE OLIVE.
ITS CULTIVATION AND PRODUC-
TIONS IN THE FAR EAST.
of the Tree-Method of Gather
ing the Fruit, Making Oil, Etc.

The Peculiar Growth and Longevity
of the Tree-Method Of Gather
ing the Fruit, Making Oil, Etc.
San Reno, the celebrated locality for
olives on the Riviera, Italy, although sit
uated nearly three degrees further north
than Redding, California, has the same
mean temperature in winter, and annually
as Sacramento, and there is no question as
TO the fact that Central California is equally
the natural home for this semi-tropic fruit
In his admirable description of San Reno
Mr.. Hassall, speaking of the olive, says:
1t is the most conspicuous and abundant
OF all the fruit trees growing on the Riviera,
claiming the hills and valleys as its own
Although the olive tree has taken posses
sion OF the Riviera, ii is really
NATIVE OF THE HOLY LAND.
But it has evidently found here conditions
of soil and climate not less favorable than
those of its own country. The olive tree
is an evergreen of slow growth, attaining
under favorable conditions the size of a
forest tree, and flourishing for many CEN
turtles. The mode of growth is singular
| the young trees usually consist of single
trunk which divides at a short distance
from the ground into two or three primary
branches, and this trunk is often irregu-
| larly twisted and contorted. When the
tree has attained any considerable size, the
interior frequently decays and the outer
part of the trunk with the bark becomes
split up into two or three segments, the
bark then gradually encircles the separate
| portions until each becomes coated all
around, and several stems are thus formed
| out of the original single trunk. Why the
| inner portion of the tree should be so
prone to decay is not very apparent, but
| it may be caused in some cases by the adj
mission of moisture through the numer-
Gus assures and holes in the bark; these
extend some distance into the substance of
the tree, and from their number one
would be led to suspect that many Of them
are the work of some boring moth.
THIS SPLITTING UP OF THE TREE
Into smaller trunks and the forms thus as
sumed are often very singular. The roots
are very large and massive; and some of
them penetrate deeply in search of the
nourishment which is contained but spar
| ingly in the soil in which the olive trees
grow. Now this breaking up of the origi-
nal trunk is probably materially aided by
the extension outwards of the roots, which
| draw the lower portion of the trunk with
them and so help to split it up. But there
! is still another way in which the trunks
are multiplied, and which contributes in
many cases to their singular appearance
From the roots which lie so thickly spread
round the trunk, and which are partly
above the surface of the ground, spring up
numerous Shoots some of which being
suffered to grow, attain at length the size
of secondary trees; and thus one olive
| tree, in time, often possesses several trunks.
The leaves of the olive tree are long and
narrow, dark green on the upper and silver
gray on the under surface, the young shoots
presenting also silvery appearance. The
leaves resemble closely those of the willow,
to which, indeed, the whole tree bears
some resemblance.
ITS FRUITAGE.
Ii puts forth its small axillery and pretty
clusters Of yellowish white blossoms usu-
ally in April; it begins to ripen its fruit
about October; the berries are at first
green, afterwards of a plum color, and
finally almost black, with a rich bloom :;
| when ripe they begin to fall off the trees,
and great numbers of women and chill
dren are employed in picking them up
carrying the baskets filled with them, at
the end of the day, to the olive mills The
picking up of the olives at San Reno some
times extends far into the spring, the period
varying in different years according to the
weather, the greater or less abundance of
the crops, and the freedom of the olives
from the attacks of an insect which LAYS
its eggs in them and to which they are par
ticularly liable. When once the olives
have fallen from the trees, the sooner they
are picked up the better, for if they are al
lowed to remain on the ground and especi-
ally if it rains on them, they acquire taste
of earth and grass, and the quality of the
oil is thereby injured. In good olive years
men climb up into the trees and beat the
branches with long poles, the olives falling
on to cloths spread beneath the trees; the
Oil extracted from these olives is of the
best quality, being free from all extraneous
taste. The olive crop is very uncertain,
and it is reckoned that good one is only
obtained, on an average, once in three
years. and in order even to insure this, it is
necessary that the trees should be
REGULARLY PRUNED AND WELL MANFRED.
Every year the earth is dug up about
them, and once in three years q trench is
made running partly round the tree, but at
little distance from it into this the ma
nure is put. This consists of almost anv
description of animal and vegetable refuse,
but old wooden rags are considered to be
the best, and the fouler and dirtier they are
the more suitable they are deemed for tie
purpose. The collection of these rags and
their importation into the olive districts
constitute a regular trade. The trees APP
pear at their worst after they have been
beaten to obtain the berries, and when
they have been pruned; it is in winter that
they are seen to most advantage, when their
| foliage is thickest and freshest; but they
also look particularly well in the spring
after they have put forth their new shoots
and are in blossom. Although the olive is
much harder than the orange and lemon
trees, it bearing a temperature of 17o above
zero without being killed, warm climate.
such as that of the Riviera, is yet necessary
to the production and ripening of lis fruit.
THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING TIE OIL
Is as follows land for most of the particu-
| lars | am indebted to the kindness and
practical knowledge of NJ. Alexandra Es-
| Golfer, of San Remo): The olives are sold
| by the grower 10 the manufacturer, and are
carried to the mills by the women who col
| lect them. The mills are usually situated,
for the sake Of water power, in the course
of the streams which flow through the
| valleys. The olives are strewn on the floor,
the different days gatherings and qualities
being separated by boards placed edgeways,
and the sooner the olives are pressed after
| they are collected the better the oil. The
| olives ere next reduced TO pulp by means
Of revolving stone, an operation which
takes from three to four hours; the pulp is
then taken out of the mill and put into
circuler bags, termed "exportine," having
q large hole at top and bottom, and made
of very tough kind of fiber worked in
meshes like net; these, when filled, are
| placed one on top OF the other, TO the num-
Der of ten or fifteen, under press which is
almost always worked by hand. A portion
of the oil escapes from the pulp before any
pressure is applied, and this is called
virgin OIL that produced by pressure is
mixed with the water naturally contained
in the olive, and the expressed liquid must
consequently be allowed to stand for some
hours, that the oil may rise to the surface
This oil is called "huile de seconde,' and
is not so good nor does it keep as well as
the virgin OIL" II should be understood,
however, that unless special orders from
the merchants are received to the contrary,
the manufacturers do not keep them sep
arate-they are mixed together at once.
AFTER THE OLIVES ARE PRESSED
The pulp is placed in large pits called
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